Vandal Caught On Tape; Fire Leads To Drug Dealing Arrest: Blotter

NILES, IL — The following information comes from the Niles Police Department as a record of police activity and those arrested by police. Criminal charges represent mere accusations by the state and are often dropped or reduced. Updated information may be available from the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. All persons named are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

INCIDENTS

STOLEN CAR
A patron at Star Nissan, 5757 W. Touhy Ave., reported that a vehicle they purchased in cash in September 2017 was sold at auction in February 2018 after notifying the dealership they planned to leave the car in the lot while waiting for customized license plates.

BURGLARY
Someone has been stealing car batteries from the parking lot of the Walmart at 8500 W. Golf Road, police were told on the afternoon of July 20. After reviewing video surveillance, staff were able to find tape of a silver Jeep SUV pulling up to a locked storage area, putting things into the vehicle and driving away.

FORGERY
A resident in the 9000 block of West Terrace Drive told police on July 26 that they had been in the process of receiving a settlement of nearly $860 due to their dog being "misdiagnosed with cancer." The resident said it appeared someone else had signed for their settlement check on July 14 and requested a follow-up investigation.

CAR BURGLARY
Around 11:47 a.m. on July 22, a resident in the 8600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue reported that someone had stolen their wallet from inside their unlocked parked car. The stolen credit card was later used to attempt purchases and to bill multiple Uber rides.

SHOPLIFTING

• Police were told that on the afternoon of July 15, a man picked up three electronic watches worth nearly $900 into an empty shopping basket, hid them in a target shopping bag and left through the front doors.
• An employee at Kohl's, 690 Golf Mill Ctr., reported at 6 p.m. on July 20 she noticed a known shoplifter enter the store. The man reportedly walked out of the store with a digital camera and two portable speakers before being confronted by staff while trying to exit the mall. The man reportedly said he "did nothing wrong" before removing the stolen items, throwing them on the ground and leaving on foot.
• Police were called to the parking lot of the Jewel-Osco at 8730 W. Dempster St. around 9 p.m. on July 20, where a staffer explained she had followed a shoplifter out into the parking lot. He told her to "back off" because he had a gun, although no weapon was displayed.
• A woman stole several packages of disposable razors from the Walgreens at 5600 W. Touhy Ave. around 4 p.m. on July 22 before getting into the passenger seat of a waiting pickup truck.
• Someone stole an unknown number of items from the Walmart at 5630 W. Touhy Ave. by putting some items in a purse and others inside an insulated bag before leaving the store.
• A woman wearing a pink tank top and jean shorts reportedly attempted to steal $51.60 worth of item from the Target at 2002 Golf Mill Ctr. after voiding a transaction with a nutrition assistance card before fleeing the scene in a white four-door car, police were told around 12:30 p.m. on July 26 that this was the second incident involving the woman.
• A woman stole a $15 bottle of wine from the CVS Pharmacy at 9640 N. Milwaukee Ave. sometime prior to 1:28 p.m. on July 27.
• Someone stole nine security cameras worth more than $1,900 from the Target at 2002 Golf Mill Ctr. and left the store through a fire exit door on the west side of the store on July 21 and July 27.
• An employee of the Walmart at 5630 W. Touhy Ave. reported at 11:53 a.m. that two people had put various bottles of liquor into shopping bags and walked toward the exit. The staffer recognized one of the offenders, who reportedly split apart from one another. One left the merchandise outside the door when asked to stop, while the other shoplifter reportedly fled in a gold four-door car to pick up their partner.

THEFT

• A patron at the Panera Bread reported that between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on July 24 someone had stolen their wallet from inside a purse. Later that day they learned someone had tried to make an unauthorized purchase using a credit card from their wallet at the Apple Store in Skokie.
• A resident in the 8900 block of Washington Street reported that a man and a woman had approached them in a white Crysler and offered a "free gold ring." The thieves called the man by his name and did not speak with an accent. They placed a necklace around the man's neck but then grabbed a gold chain the man was already wearing. It was described as a 22-inch, 24 karat gold chain with no pendant. The thieves left the man with crucifix necklace.
• Someone reportedly stole money from the pockets of an older man after he had cashed a pension check at First America Bank on the afternoon of July 31. After he left, he was approached by a man "acting very friendly" who put his arm around him.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO SCHOOL PROPERTY
According to surveillance camera footage, an intruder reportedly spray painted gang related graffiti on the walls of Emerson Middle School at 8101 N. Cumberland Ave. between 12:45 and 1:50 p.m. on July 29. The man was seen climbing onto construction equipment and taking out a can of orange spray paint. He defaced the east side of the building before circling around to the front entrance. The suspect appeared to be 18 to 25 years of age, of average height and with a muscular build, short black hair, brown eyes and a goatee. The school district estimated there was $10,000 in damage. Police asked anyone who recognizes the person shown in a still image taken from security cameras (below) to contact the detective bureau at the Niles Police Department at 847-588-6500.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Cecil Royce, 29, of the 8200 block of West Park Avenue in Niles, was arrested at 9:07 p.m. on July 21 on an in-state warrant issued by DuPage County after he was pulled over in the 9100 block of North Milwaukee Avenue because he had no front license plate.

Joshua Hoffman, 34, of the 8400 block of West Crain Street in Niles, was arrested at 7:24 p.m. on July 22 at the Walgreens, 9000 N. Greenwood Ave., and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a child. Police were called to the store for a report of a man giving alcohol to a teen, who told police he saw Hoffman pouring an "unknown liquid" into a cup of soda. A breath test indicated the 16-year-old boyhad a blood alcohol concentration of 0.06 and he was cited for consumption of alcohol by a minor.

Jeffrey M. Pendleton, 57, of the 2700 block of West Harrison Street in Chicago, was arrested around 1 p.m. on July 23 at the Walmart, 5630 W. Touhy Ave., and charged with retail theft of less than $300. He was reportedly seen picking out merchandise from displays, removing tags from some items with a small knife and putting others inside a backpack. He then walked over to the service desk and pulled out a worn and "unreadable" receipt and asked for a cash refund. The value of the items taken was $294.43.

Armin Meskic, 20, of the 8800 block of Golf Road in Niles, was arrested at 2:55 p.m. on July 26 and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in the area of the Walgreens at 9000 N. Greenwood Ave. Officers tried to stop him because he reportedly matched the description of a suspect in a theft. Meskic disregarded their commands and tried to run away and was tased before being taken into custody and identified by a store employees.

Barbara A. Dunn, 22, of the 7900 block of South Ellis Avenue in Chicago, and was arrested at 8:40 p.m. on July 27 and charged with retail theft and obstructing identification after police were called to the Kohl's at 590 Golf Mill Ctr. for a report of two women seen hiding clothes in their purses. Officers stopped the women as they left the store and found merchandise worth about $177. A 26-year-old Chicago woman was issued a local ordinance citation and released, while Dunn provided false information and was charged with two misdemeanors.

Jordan M. Tang, 20, of the 400 block of 3rd Street in LaSalle, was arrested at 9:39 p.m. on July 27 and charged with possession of a controlled substance after officers witnessed him in the men's bathroom of Candela restaurant, 8526 W. Golf Road, take two capsules of suspected ecstasy out of a plastic bag. He reportedly admitted to having MDMA and was found with a total of 1.1 grams of the substance.

Joshua R. Toomey, 38, of the 1800 block of Richton Road in Steger, was arrested at 11:33 p.m. on July 27 and charged with possession of a controlled substance after staff at Candela, 8526 W. Golf Road, told police he took plastic bag with a white powder inside out of a hidden pocket in his hat. He reportedly admitted to having Ketamine and was arrested and charged.

Alfredo Urbina, 21, of the 800 block of Piper Lane in Prospect Heights, was arrested at 1:04 a.m. on July 28 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or above and driving without a valid driver's license after a traffic stop in the 9500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.

Alberto A. Hernandez, 19, of the 7700 block of North Nordica Avenue in Niles, was arrested at 4:13 p.m. on July 29 at his home and charged with delivery of between 30 and 500 grams of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia following a fire investigation in the basement bedroom of a townhouse. An officer entered the bedroom and discovered three bags containing suspected cannabis and a scale "in plain view next to the origin of the fire." Police reported finding 291.8 grams of cannabis and THC oil, along with a scale and other paraphernalia. Officers also recovered $1,000 which had been inside clothes that burned during the fire.

A 66-year-old Niles man was issued a citation for shooting a BB gun at skunks from his driveway in the 7700 block of North Oleander Avenue. An investigation determined the man had been shooting at a skunk because "they had sprayed his dogs in the past." The man was told it was a violation of village ordinance to fire a BB gun and was ticketed.

Anna Lasocka, 31, of the 7700 block of Dempster Street in Morton Grove, was arrested at 1:12 a.m. on July 31 in the 6400 block of West Howard Street and charged with driving under the influence. Police were called to the scene of a one-car traffic crash with an injury, and when they arrived they found Lasoka lying on her back on the curb next to a fire hydrant beside her white Cadillac with heavy front end damage. Officers determined she was intoxicated, and she was placed under arrest at the hospital. She was also issued citations for damage to village property and billed for the cost of providing emergency services.

Nathaniel Rodriguez, 18, of the 200 block of North Porter Street in Elgin, was arrested around 11 a.m. on July 31 on an active arrest warrant issued by DuPage County after he was pulled over in the 7900 block of Dempster Street for reportedly speeding 53 mph in a 35 mph.

Joe Sykes, 62, of the 1000 block of 31st Street in Belwood, was arrested at 11:22 p.m. on July 31 at the Jewel-Osco at 8730 West Dempster Street and charged with criminal trespassing. Police were told he had been banned from the store due to previous shoplifting incidents.

John O. Williams, 52, of the 500 block of 2nd Street in Waukegan, was arrested around 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 1 on an in-state warrant and charged in connection with an investigation into a retail theft of merchandise worth more than $300 from the Walmart at 8500 W. Golf Road.

Louis D. Kritikos, 48, of the 4800 block of West Roscoe Street in Chicago, was arrested at 6:51 p.m. on Aug. 1 in the 200 block of Golf Mill Center and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Police responding to a call of an unwanted person found him passed out on a bench and unconscious with an empty prescription bottle, a half-empty bottle of wine in his backpack and a knife blade protruding from his shorts. Kritikos was also cited for public intoxication and bill for the cost of providing emergency services.

» Last Month: Portable Toilet Blown Up; Police Given 'Bag Of Potatoes': Niles Police Department June Blotter

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